Japan by Cruise - which itinerary?

Clayton said:
Great idea Pushka, we thought the same and about 6 months Mrs Clayton and I booked the 28 day HAL Noordam cruise embarking Yokohama 30 March 2025 for a comprehensive loop of Japan. We haven't been on this ship before but have sailed on its newer slightly larger sibling Nieuw Statendam, and found it had ample entertainment and sufficient restaurant variety. Entertainment will certainly be more varied than our other cruises on Silversea Wind and Silver and on the various river cruises with Uniworld and Avalon. This allied with everyday seeing a new location and the diversity of Japanese food available on land should make this a most enjoyable month.
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We are also on the same Noordam 28 day cruise. Managed to get a great deal with drinks, excursion credit and gratuities included. It is our first HAL cruise so we are starting at the bottom lotyalty level, though will miss the generous OBC from Princess.

We'll go there early and do a week or so of land-based touring, it doesn't matter how many times we've been to Japan, there is always something new and interesting to see.
 
Pushka said:
So cruises originating in Japan don't? It's all so confusing. Viking included tips in all their cruises regardless. Celebrity did too but think that changed shortly after we booked. Our excursions are in USD which makes them even more shocking.
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Look at this which MAY make it a little easier to understand. (Formatting is awful)

Princess Plus & Princess Premier​

 
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Mumanddad said:
We are also on the same Noordam 28 day cruise. Managed to get a great deal with drinks, excursion credit and gratuities included. It is our first HAL cruise so we are starting at the bottom lotyalty level, though will miss the generous OBC from Princess.

We'll go there early and do a week or so of land-based touring, it doesn't matter how many times we've been to Japan, there is always something new and interesting to see.
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Watching with interest.
 
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Pushka said:
Two specialty deserts per day. 🤢. I'd likely have one a year if that. And it would have to be chocolate. And only 15 alcohol drinks a day. 😂 But. Sigh. No Tips.
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On our last cruise I had one specialty dessert for the whole cruise and that was way over the top. Not in a hurry to have one again.
 
Pushka said:
The excursions on Princess are wickedly priced though and you can't use the OBC on this trip anyway, in advance to offset them. And many are completely booked out and the cruise is over 12 months away!
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Thats amazing. The excursions for our HAL cruise aren't listed yet, and likely won't be until 6 months out. Our last HAL cruise excursions were still evolving in the 2-3 weeks leading up to embarkation.
 
Clayton said:
Thats amazing. The excursions for our HAL cruise aren't listed yet, and likely won't be until 6 months out. Our last HAL cruise excursions were still evolving in the 2-3 weeks leading up to embarkation.
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Yes, it seems strange. Can't see how they organise things this far out. Likely there will be 'amendments' closer to the trip.
 
Mumanddad said:
We are also on the same Noordam 28 day cruise. Managed to get a great deal with drinks, excursion credit and gratuities included. It is our first HAL cruise so we are starting at the bottom lotyalty level, though will miss the generous OBC from Princess.

We'll go there early and do a week or so of land-based touring, it doesn't matter how many times we've been to Japan, there is always something new and interesting to see.
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We will do the same, probably arrive Tokyo 5-7 days prior to embarkation, previously visit was to Kyoto/Osaka and Hiroshima, this time we will spend more time in Tokyo before joining the ship. We booked this version of the "Have it All" deal while onboard our last cruise including gratuities, 3 excursion credits each, 3 specialty dining credits each, premium wi-fi, elite beverage package. Also took Club Orange option, the main benefit being we paid for lowest price verandah class, but selected highest verandah class cabin, along with some form of priority for concierge and on-board excursion services and any-time dining priority.
 
That's a good deal. For a classic verandah suite it is $12999. On the SS website with the current sale of $3000 off per person it is $13800.
But as well as the cruise you are getting flights, 3 nights in Tokyo at the Prince hotel which for those dates is $400+ and 1 night in Singapore which this year is $500.
Looked at a few of their reviews and most who mentioned an airline it was PR.
But a very good deal

PS. That was basically the cruise we did on the Muse last October so there is a TR
 
The only problem is that it is a good itinerary but it is going the wrong way. The Cherry blossoms are earlier to the South and later in the north. for example on our cruise in 2016 we left Osaka in early April and went around the bottom of Japan to Kanazawa. The cherry blossoms were just past their very best in Kyoto and Osaka but still magnificent. That cruise reaches Osaka 2 weeks later and quite possibly not much left.

Also after the cruise we went for two weeks going by rail around the north. So in Aomori and Akita the blooms were at their peak at the end of April. Might not be much of a show at the beginning of April.

This year we have another cruise for the cherry blossoms. We leave Yokohama on the third of April and do that cruise in reverse. That is the best way to try and have the cherry blossom experience.

But a lot of people do enjoy the Azamara experience.
 
drron said:
The only problem is that it is a good itinerary but it is going the wrong way. The Cherry blossoms are earlier to the South and later in the north. for example on our cruise in 2016 we left Osaka in early April and went around the bottom of Japan to Kanazawa. The cherry blossoms were just past their very best in Kyoto and Osaka but still magnificent. That cruise reaches Osaka 2 weeks later and quite possibly not much left.

Also after the cruise we went for two weeks going by rail around the north. So in Aomori and Akita the blooms were at their peak at the end of April. Might not be much of a show at the beginning of April.

This year we have another cruise for the cherry blossoms. We leave Yokohama on the third of April and do that cruise in reverse. That is the best way to try and have the cherry blossom experience.

But a lot of people do enjoy the Azamara experience.
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I was hoping that you would see this post. Thanks for the response. The dates did look a little off to me based on some of the earlier posts on this thread so I thought it worthwhile asking on here. I will pass this onto my wife.
 
I've read somewhere that they think the cherry blossoms are going to be early this year because of the warmer winter
 
VPS said:
I've read somewhere that they think the cherry blossoms are going to be early this year because of the warmer winter
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That is virtually a routine suggestion. But the usual is that some will open earlier than predicted, some will open at the predicted time and some open later than predicted.
 

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